Animate Spell
 

Has anyone developed a house rule for animating objects (i.e., stone statue, wooden figure or similar)?

Re: Animate Spell
 

Here's my rules for golems
https://www.hcobb.com/tft/new_spells.html#golem

Re: Animate Spell
 

I've created a house-rule spell for animating objects such as furniture, etc.


ANIMATE OBJECT (T): The caster gives temporary life to weapons, chairs, and other dead or inanimate objects. The objects animated can move about under the wizard’s direct control or can mindlessly follow “preprogrammed” instructions (e.g. stand by a doorway and attack anything that tries to go through). The DX of the animated object is 2 points less than the wizard’s own DX – unless the Game Master rules that the object is incapable of having a DX that high. The ST of the object depends on the amount of ST the caster invests in the spell (1 per 5 ST given to the object).

p.s., the animation can be made permanent by using in the application of a Lesser Enchantment.

Re: Animate Spell
 

Thanks for the input!

Re: Animate Spell
 

Thanks for the input!

Re: Animate Spell
 

This is my version (written, but not yet playtested)...

IQ 15 - ANIMATE OBJECT (T)

This spell will imbue inanimate objects with mobility and a semblance of life. Each such animated object can be controlled as a summoned being, used to distract, attack or interact with whomever or whatever you designate. Unlike those creations, however, the wizard has no magical perception thru the enchanted object but neither can they be usurped by any 'control' spell (although they are vulnerable to REMOVE THROWN SPELL). In fact, animated objects can exhibit an unusual amount of autonomy, behaving similarly to a trained and loyal animal. They continue to act even after the wizard is rendered unconscious.
You may animate one small object (¼-hex or less) for 4 ST. A medium-sized object (up to ½-hex) counts as two small or smaller objects and costs 8 ST, a large object (up to 1-hex) is 16 ST, and a huge object (up to 3-hex) will cost 32 ST. Regardless of size the object attacks w/ a DX equal to the wizard’s own attribute minus 2 and has an MA of 8. On a successful hit, the object will deal the equivalent of 'club' damage based on the ST used to cast the spell (i.e. a medium object does the same damage as a ST 8 fighter). They can be destroyed using the sundering rules (q.v.).

Note: The spell cannot animate objects carried or worn by someone, but can otherwise give life to any object made of non-magical materials.

Cost: Variable
Duration: 1 minute, renewable

Re: Animate Spell
 

I think there's two kinds of spell here, which would probably work in quite different ways.

• A spell cast during a fight, to turn one or more convenient jointed objects into minions. This is comparable with a summoning spell with the inconvenience that it only works if there are appropriate objects available. So it should be a little easier to cast than a corresponding summoning spell.
• A spell cast before a fight, to create a minion. This is comparable with a zombie creation spell, so the animated creatures should lose power gradually, or else it should cost money or require a magic item like the zombie ring to keep them going.

Re: Animate Spell
 

Create Chair Elemental: So long as she succeeds in the control rolls the Witch Queen Victoria shall sit anywhere and onlookers shan't be amused by the results.

Re: Animate Spell
 

Magi Carta for Heroes & Other Worlds is sort of compatible with TFT and has an Animate Object spell as a Thrown spell at IQ 14. With it one can animate objects of a size determined by how much ST is put into it, with 2 ST for a small object (never really defined) and doubling each size increase (4 ST for medium, 8 for large, etc.). The spell description states that the objects can attack, but it never gives attributes for objects.

Here's my untested take, just for statues:
IQ 10, Animate Statue (T): This spell vivifies a single statue or sculpture (in the round or bas relief), giving it attributes average for the artwork's subject for 3 rounds (a life-size statue of a wolf would have a wolf's stats, a life-size warrior would have a Myrmidon's, and a monumental sculpture of a person would have a giant's stats). Wooden sculptures have stop 3 hits, stone stops 4, and bronze stops 6. Costs 1/hex, can be renewed.

My rationale for the low IQ and cost is that you need a statue handy, so it is considerably less useful than being able to animate any object. I'd be tempted to allow single blows that deal a statue high damage to break an animated statue, similar to how skeletons shatter. I'm also tempted to have cutting or impaling weapons used against them to have a risk of being damaged.

Re: Animate Spell
 

That version was actually my initial inspiration. Unfortunately, it didn't provide any guidance around the actions that the animated objects could take which I tried to address with my spell.

Re: Animate Spell
 

BTW, I think I may adjust the ST cost progression a bit for my version... still starting at 4 ST, but then 8, 12 and finally 16.

Re: Animate Spell
 

Sort of what I had in mind. Thanks!

Re: Animate Spell
 

TippetsTX, Madhopper50 and others, please share any after action reports to let us know if and how you think the spells should be tweaked for better balance!